The present invention relates to an implement for cleaning or treating surfaces or for applying media to surfaces with a holder and a deformable disposable working part inter-changeably gripped by said holder, the latter comprising a sleeve constructed as a stick or grip and a sliding part guided thereon with a handle on its end projecting over the sleeve and grippers for the working part arranged at its other end and which are displaceable from an open position projecting over the sleeve into a use position fixing the working part and by means of the handle can be moved in the opposite direction for releasing the working part.
In connection with working implements or tools, particularly when intended for use in the home, many attempts have been made in the past to interchangeably fit to a holder the actual working part, which becomes unusable and is therefore thrown away as a result of dirtying, wear or the like, in such a way that the holder can be constantly reused. Thus, for example, a floor cleaning implement in the form of a mop is known (U.S. Pat. No. 756,100), in which a pad-like cloth is secured between two shear-like gripper arms, accompanied by the formation of a fold in the central region, one gripper arm being fixed to a conventional handle, whereas the other gripper is locked on the handle in the clamped position for the mop pad. By releasing the locking device, it is possible to release the mop cloth and optionally clean it or replace it by a new one if it is worn. The construction of the gripper or tong-like holder is such that only flat pads can be fixed over a relatively considerable length.
It is also known in connection with domestic cleaning appliances, e.g. for utensils (U.S. Pat. No. 2,296,133, FR-OS No. 2 153 309) to fit skein-like working parts, such as sponges, wire pot cleaners, etc./to a holder, which has two or more grippers, which can be moved between a spread open position and a closed use position. In one case (FR-OS No. 2 153 309) the grippers are located on a connecting rod, which is guided in a grip-like sleeve. By means of a spring located in the sleeve the connecting rod is moved into an upper position, where the grippers pass out of the spread apart position into the closed use position and grip the skein or sponge-like cleaning part. On displacing the connecting rod for gripper opening purposes, an ejector arranged on the connecting rod simultaneously acts on the working part. In the other known construction (U.S. Pat. No. 2,296,133), a plurality of rail-like metal grippers are pivotably mounted on the lower face of a grip on a circumferential circle. By mounting on the skein-like cleaning part in the form of a pot cleaner or the like and subsequent displacement of a sliding ring surrounding all the grippers, the hook-like ends of the grippers can penetrate the pot cleaner, in order to fix same to the grip.
Similar systems are known in the field of personal hygiene. Thus, a powder puff (U.S. Pat. No. 1,655,215) is formed in that the pad-like working part, which is made from cotton wool and a cloth surrounding same, can be gripped on its one side by means of hook-like grippers, which are fitted to the ends of a spring clip. The spring clip can here again be widened or constricted by a slinding ring surrounding the clip arms, so that on moving said arms together the hook-like grippers engage in the pad and can fix same between them, whereas following a corresponding displacement of the sliding ring and spreading apart the clip arms, the pad can be released again. In addition, a tooth care implement is known (Austrian patent No. 58 395), in which the holder is once again constructed in shear-like manner and an elongated cleaning pad is fixed between the shear arms acting as a gripper. The shear grips are locked together in the clamped position. Extensive development has taken place in the field of toilet cleaning implements, in order to replace conventional toilet brushes by disposable working parts and therefore better meet hygienic requirements. Thus, it is known (German Utility Models 1 993 757 and 76 25 294) to fix tampom-like cleaning pads by means of tong grippers displaceable on parallel guides, one of the tong grippers being under spring tension in a sleeve which moves same into the closed position, where the grippers fix the tampon-like cleaning pad between them. In another construction with tong-like arms, one arm has a bearing plate for a specially shaped cleaning pad, which passes through a recess on the other equi-contour tong arm (EP-B No. 1-0 078 123). In another construction (British patent No. 651 454) a multilayer cellulose pad is slotted on one side and is mounted on a rod-like sliding part and is fixed between a plate arranged thereon and a further plate, which is provided on a sleeve guiding the sliding part. Here again the sliding part is under a spring tension which moves together the plates and which is overcome by a pressure on a handle, so that the cleaning pad can be received in the slot.
The aforementioned working implement (British patent No. 897 556) is also used as a toilet cleaning tool. It comprises a sleeve and a rod-like sliding part displaceable therein and which is once again moved into the use position by means of a spring supported on an inner collar of the sleeve. The sleeve is provided at its one end with a funnel or spout-like extension through which the grippers fitted to the sliding part project outwards, whilst the sliding part has at the opposite end projecting over the sleeve a handle. By pressure on the handle counter to the spring tension, the grippers are moved outwards. As they are resiliently constructed, they are spread apart into an open position. After release of the handle the sliding part is moved in the opposite direction by means of the spring, the grippers being moved inwards into the closed use position on the inside of the spout-like extension. The cleaning part is formed by circular cloths, which are collapsed in paper bag-like manner by forming a point in the centre thereof and several of these are folded together. At the bag-like point, said cleaning part is gripped by the grippers of the implement.
Independently of the intended use, all the known implements of the aforementioned type suffer from the disadvantage that they comprise a plurality of functional components, which on the one hand leads to corresponding production and assembly costs and on the other can lead to operational problems. It is also disadvantageous that either only certain types, namely skein-like working parts can be directly gripped, or flat working parts must firstly be given a matched shape to enable them to be gripped by means of the implement.
On the basis of one of the aforementioned implements (British patent No. 897 556), the problem of the present invention is to propose a simpler construction for the holder and also to offer the possibility of being able to grip working parts of random shape and in particular flat working parts, without the construction of special gripping means on the working part and without using the hands.